The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2015, and October 31, 2016 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2016 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on November 3, 2016, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

A people’s-eye-view of the strange and unusual eating habits found in the animal kingdom; children will be drawn to the disgusting realm of meals made of spit, vomit, cigarettes, skin, and dandruff, just to name of few. Swanson is not subtle; among the chapter headings are “Ooze, Vomit and Dung,” “Blood, Skin, and Cast-Off Parts,” “Rotting Flesh and Bones.” Common and little-known facts burst forth; vampire bats suck blood, the hawfinch dines on cherry pits, puffins eat whale dung, and porcupines munch sweaty wood. The chapters are clearly organized topically, but a dearth of subheadings and a profusion of sidebars makes for intimidating spreads. One creature per spread is singled out for illustration, so many animals may be mentioned—e.g., the lammergeier, the Lapland longspur—but not fully identified. The author’s meticulous research is evident here; despite the poor layout and arrangement of text, children will “eat up” the gross-me-out notions and digest good scientific information. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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